Sign Up  /  Login

Finzel Swamp Box LbNA #59154

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Aug 12, 2011
Location: Finzel Swamp
City:Finzel
County:Garrett
State:Maryland
Boxes:1
Planted by:Woodwoses
Found by: Frog Pond Hill
Last found:Jul 9, 2016
Status:OF
Last edited:Aug 12, 2011
The remarkable Finzel Swamp is a 326 acres preserve owned by the Nature Conservancy in Garrett County, MD, in the glorious Appalachian Mountains of Western Maryland. A window into ice ages past, Finzel Swamp is located in a "frost pocket," an area where the surrounding hills capture moisture and cold air that conspire to create a landscape more reminiscent of habitat found much further north in Canada. There in the wild swamp lands are several rare bird species such as the Virginia rail, sedge wren, alder flycatcher, Nashville warbler, and saw-whet owl. The excellent fauna includes, one of the southernmost occurrences for tamarack (or larch), wild calla, and Canadian burnet in the United States, as well as wild blueberry, cranberry, cotton grass, and bog fern. Finzel Swamp is open to the public for birdwatching and nature walks year-round during daylight hours.  Admission is free.

This is a rough trail and wildwood box. Be prepared.

Getting There: From I-68 West.  Past Frostburg, take Routh 546 North 1.7 miles towards the Town of Finzel.  Turn right onto Cranberry Swamp Road, a dirt road on the north side of the recreation park and baseball field.  After the ballpark, where four driveways converge, take the second one from the left.   Follow this road for .6 mile, (Pretty rough road, but you don’t need 4 Wheel Drive, just don’t take a car with a very low undercarriage. Park at the ball field if you are in a low slung car) to the preserve sign and gate.  The parking area is a rough as well. Park on the right, facing the swamp. The main trail to the pond is on the right from there.

Follow the main trail down into the swamp. It is mostly gravel from here, bermed above the wetlands. STAY ON THE TRAIL! Papa Woodwose tried an experiment when he thrust his walking stick four foot into the soft ground with little effort! Enjoy the glimpses of tussocks and views of wetlands. Watch for animals and birds, and take your plant field guides and practice your botany. You will cross two wooden bridges, then a large culvert bridge, and finally another wooden bridge before coming out into a meadow, dotted with pines and low trees. Feel the breeze on your face and watch grasses blow. Stay on the trail through the meadow and you will soon see a old house foundation on your right. Take a moment to reflect on the memories of those who once called these lands home. Past the foundations and around a bend you will come to the main pond. Take a nice break there. You might see some wildlife at the right time of year. Turtles and frogs call this area home now, and animals come to the water’s edge. A smaller trail goes all the way around the pond.

After you have spent some quiet time at the pond, return back down the trail you came on. Go slower. Go quieter. Look closer. You will cross over one wooden bridge, then the large culvert bridge again. Look in the mud below for animal tracks and trails. Cross two more wooden bridges. The last bridge out, the first one you crossed on the way in, has two blue posts on the parking lot side. Going towards the lot, the post on your left, at the end of the bridge, sits on a concrete pier. Just under that end of the bridge, next to the pier, is the box, hidden behind a rock. BE CAREFUL taking it out, as you are reaching under the bridge! Please carefully rehide and replace the rocks to keep it from washing away.

We hope you enjoyed your walk in the wild and your box from the Woodwoses.

Learn more about the Nature Conservancy and the beautiful Finzel Swamp at http://www.nature.org/
Please consider donating to this important organization and helping to preserve our wild places for all out futures.

Walk in Peace,
The Woodwose Family
pathmaker at wildmail dot com